Three women – young Janet, her mother, and her grandmother – take refuge in a stable while a storm and the temptations of St. Anthony are raging outside. Janet asks in vain to be explained what these temptations are. Saint Anthony (called Anthony Perkins) is in a cell and only has his Halo, his Clock, and his Calendar as friends. He prays to Zeus to send him temptations, for they never reach him. Time flies, and he ends up dying of boredom. Shortly after Anthony’s death, the now old Queen of Sheba enters his cell, accompanied by Gustave Flaubert. The Queen of Sheba dies, disappointed that she could not tempt Anthony. Flaubert asks two eunuchs to bury them. Cleo di Patra appears in the sky, surrounded by angels. The play ends with a great ballet and a funeral cortege.

String marionette

Not specified

Craig Edward Gordon

Italy

Marina di Pisa

Printed

Waiting

Temptation

Desappointment

Lust

Chastity

Hermit

Comical

Satirical

English

Saint Anthony the Great

Clock

Gustave Flaubert

Old woman

Queen of Sheba

Cleopatra

Angel

Black Man

Domestic servant

Eunuch

Stormy scene

Song

Reading aloud

Object coming to life

Speeding up of time

Instrumental tune

Death on stage

Avista

Apotheosis

Procession

Ballet

Current affairs

The Temptation of St Anthony

La Tentation de saint Antoine

Felix Techno is the inventor of a time machine which he demonstrates to the audience. He gives Technikus, a robot, to his nephew Peter, but makes it malfunction to punish him for his poor performance at school and to see if Peter and his friend Kalle can control it. The deranged robot wreaks havoc on the city. Felix, who observes the events from the future, returns to take part in them under different disguises. When the robot continues its journey into space, Felix dons a spacesuit and brings it back to Earth. The inventor decides to give the robot to Kalle, who has managed to control it, because "technology belongs to the one who controls it".

Young audiences

Focke Gerd

Germany

Time travel

Physics

Dysfunction

Cosmic journey

Spoutnik

Learning

Diving suit

Television

Robot

Dinosaur

Music

Time

Disobedience

Radio

School

Technical

Parodistic

German

Eine utopische Märchenkomödie für einen Schauspieler und einige Puppen

Inventor

Physician

Vendeur de journaux

Schoolteacher

Police officer

Fireman

Astronaut

Und die halbe Weltgeschichte, von übermorgen bis zur Zeit der Dinosaurier (oder umgekehrt)

Scene in the dark

Address to the public

Surprise effect

Personified object

Disguised character (false identity)

Unexpected turn of events

Running gag

Argument

Spying scene

Commentary

Chase

Transformism

Peter und der Roboter

Peter et le robot

A suitcase is moving on the baggage carousel of an airport, of a supermarket or of an industrial area. It is followed by several objects and goods. As the carousel speeds up, the actors handle the goods frenetically. Their struggle to follow the speed of the machine is reflected in their movements. 
The carousel slows down and the actors use their bare hands to mime imaginary objects - glasses being toasted, or a calabash being carried. Then they exchange various objects: a shotgun, a hammer, a book, an axe, … The carousel stops and the actors bring other objects on stage, which they manipulate or simply put on the floor: a small toy car, trophies, a mannequin’s arm, a fire extinguisher, a heater, a loudspeaker, an umbrella, … At the end of the show, boards with outlines representing members of the audience slowly come nearer to the proscenium until the final curtain comes down.